The news that the late Robin Williams was in the early stages of Parkinson's disease could be a learning moment for those unfamiliar with the disease, said Bob Benjamin, founder of the Parkinson's-fighting Light of Day festival.

"It's something we can learn from," said Benjamin of Highland Park. "It might start people thinking about it."

Susan Schneider, Williams' wife, disclosed on Thursday that Williams' "sobriety was intact and he was brave as he struggled with his own battles of depression, anxiety as well as early stages of Parkinson's disease, which he was not yet ready to share publicly."

Parkinson's is a chronic and progressive neurological condition that affects movement and muscle control, according to the Parkinson's Disease Foundation website, www.pdf.org. Doctors are not sure how one gets it, and for now, there is no cure for the estimated 1.5 to 2 million Americans who have Parkinson's.

The Light of Day began in 1998 as a 40th birthday party in Red Bank for Jersey Shore music manager Bob Benjamin, who recently had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Since then, the shows have been staged around the world and have raised more than $2.5 million in the fight against Parkinson's and, perhaps more important, have raised awareness about the disease.

Bruce Springsteen often appears at the festival's main event in Asbury Park. The Asbury Park Press is a title sponsor of the fest.

There were elements of misinformation in the early reports of Williams' Parkinson's, Benjamin said.

"(A report) said that everything goes in the body except for the mind," Benjamin said. "That's not true. Depression can be one of the symptoms."